Chi Lin Nunnery — Attraction in Hong Kong

(da hon kong extras)"Chi Lin Nunnery was first opened in 1934 but substantially rebuilt in a major project involving designers, architects and traditional craftsmen from China, Hong Kong and Japan, before being opened to the public in May 2000. Located at the foot of Diamond Hill in north Kowloon amidst high-rise apartment blocks and with a mountain backdrop the nunnery occupies a 30,000 square-metre site which provides a tranquil retreat from its urban surroundings. It is sheltered on the left by the Mountain of Compassionate Clouds and guarded on the right by Lion Rock. The nunnery is home to about 60 nuns. Since 2006 the nunnery has managed the adjacent Nan Lian Garden which it helped to design and fund. The nunnery is a large Buddhist monastic complex of fifteen magnificently crafted cedar halls, gardens, courtyards, gilded statues and lotus ponds and is modelled on the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty (618–907AD). A Buddhist monastery is metaphorically described as a forest - cong lin in Chinese - which comes from the Sanskrit word Sangha, meaning a large gathering of monks and nuns from ten directions. Together they resemble trees growing like a forest. The design follows the ancient rules of Chinese architecture and fung shui principles. In constructing the buildings no nails were used, instead traditional techniques of bracketing and dowels were employed to hold the timber structures together and only natural materials such as clay, stone and wood were used. The main halls, which are built on a north-south axis, face the sea and back on to the mountains with ancillary halls to the...

The Chi Lin Nunnery is one of our special places in Hong Kong. Originally built in 1934, the monastery building and grounds you see today were opened to the public in 2000. This is a peaceful and tranquil place that is beautifully maintained. Chi Lin along with the adjacent Nan Lian Gardens are free to visit and open from 7am to 7pm daily.

What you find here is a Buddhist monastic complex constructed of cedar wood and built in the style of the Tang Dynasty. There are a handful of halls, each fitted with beautiful shrines with gilded and colourful statue figures representing manifestations of Buddha. The main hall includes five large gilded figures (3 Buddha figures and 2 attending disciples) is particularly impressive.

Note that they ask you to not take photos in this area of the monastery. There is information posted next to each hall with Chinese and English text, allowing you to read up and learn about the figures on display in each.

You can take pictures in the open courtyard which are decorated with numerous manicured shrubs and flowering plants. This is a Lotus Pond Garden with four delightful pools, it is an attractive setting and easy place to relax and enjoy yourself.

Overall, this is a place you can easily spend half an hour. Add an addition 30-45 minutes to browse the grounds and exhibition galleries of the Nan Lian Garden which is connected by bridge to the other side of the street running along side the Nunnery. Collectively, these two attractions represent one of the most beautiful locations to visit in Hong Kong, a place loved by residents and...

The Chi Lin Nunnery uses the traditional Tang dynasty architecture with a design based on a Sukhavati drawing in the Mogao Caves. It is constructed entirely with cypress wood, without the use of any nails, and is currently the world's largest hand-made wooden building.

This construction is based on traditional Chinese architectural techniques that uses special interlocking systems cut into the wood to hold them in place. The traditional Chinese architecture school adopt this kind of technique to demonstrate the harmony of mankind with nature. The complex with 16 halls, a library, a school, a pagoda, a bell tower and a drum tower, covers an area of more than 33,000 square metres (360,000 sq ft).

The Chi Lin Nunnery buildings are the only buildings to be built in this style in modern-day Hong Kong. As a result of the new lighting design project, small spotlights have been installed on the ground floor and on the roof, while the lower entrance stairs have been illuminated by LEDs strips placed in the handrail.

The Nan Lian Garden, located in the opposite of the Chi Lin Nunnery, is a Chinese classical garden also built in the style of the Tang dynasty. The scenic garden covers an area of 35,000 square metres (380,000 sq ft) is maintained by the Chi...